Laura Yaeger Appointed Leadership Role in Risperdal Litigation

Morgan & Morgan is proud to announce that complex litigation
attorney Laura V. Yaeger has been appointed as a member of the Plaintiffs’
Steering Committee in the California litigation surrounding the
antipsychotic drug
Risperdal. According to the lawsuits, Risperdal’s manufacturer
failed to adequately warn patients about the serious side effects
associated with its drug, specifically a medical condition that causes
young boys and men to develop breasts, known as gynecomastia.

“On September 5, 2014, I was appointed to the Plaintiffs’ Steering
Committee,” Yaeger said. “It is an honor. This appointment positions our
firm in an ideal position to protect the rights of our clients.”

California Superior Judge William F. Highberger, who is overseeing the
cases, appointed Yaeger and 13 additional attorneys to serve as members
of the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee (PSC) for the remainder of the
litigation. As a member of the PSC, Yaeger will coordinate pretrial
proceedings, such as discovery and hearings, where she will examine
witnesses, produce evidence and review motions.

“Currently, we are focusing on two litigation fronts: one in
Philadelphia and the other in California,” Yaeger
said. “Presently, in the Philadelphia litigation, hundreds of cases are
pending. The court holds regular status conferences to handle discovery
and scheduling issues. The California litigation is in its beginning
stages.”

In California, hundreds of boys injured by Risperdal have filed cases,
Yaeger said. In these lawsuits, the plaintiffs allege that Johnson &
Johnson subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals, which manufactures
Risperdal, failed to adequately warn patients about the risk of
developing gynecomastia after taking the drug. Not only is the condition
embarrassing, but it may also be permanent and require surgical
intervention to correct, according to the plaintiffs.

Furthermore, these lawsuits allege that Janssen promoted Risperdal for
off-label uses, such as the treatment of schizophrenia in adolescents.
While Risperdal was approved for this use in 2007, Janssen allegedly
promoted the drug for adolescent treatment long before its approval
through an extensive “ghost writing” campaign. According to the
plaintiffs, Janssen allegedly hired medical professionals to write
positive articles about Risperdal that touted its efficacy for
unapproved uses and then published these articles under the names of
unaffiliated doctors to appear as if they were unbiased.

Yaeger and the other complex litigation team members at Morgan &
Morgan continue to review potential lawsuits on behalf of patients who
took Risperdal or Invega and developed gynecomastia.